BrisBrewer
New Forum Member
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2015
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
I'm brewing an imperial porter. The original gravity was 1.076, and FG is supposed to be around 1.017. It was my first time using liquid yeast, and I neglected to make a starter (a mistake I'll be sure not to make again.) It was Wyeast British Ale yeast in the smack-pack. I think I did everything else right: pitched the yeast into well-aerated wort at 73F. After a lag-time of more 6-14 hours (i.e. when i was asleep) the airlock started bubbling pretty rapidly and a nice 2-inch krausen formed, but by 36 hours later airlock action was slowing way down and by 48 hours later it had stopped. I gave it another day or two and then measured the gravity, which had fallen to 1.044. I was concerned that I had a stuck fermentation (knowing that I should have made a yeast starter) but decided to give it some more time. I measured the gravity again today, which is 13 days after brew day, and the gravity has dropped to 1.027. So to summarize, in the first ~60 hours, gravity went from 1.076 to 1.044, and in the next 8 or 9 days it went from 1.044 to 1.027 (but without any visible/ audible airlock activity.) My fermenter temperature control isn't perfect, but it's been between 64 and 70F for the whole fermentation. My questions: 1) Is this a normal / acceptable rate of gravity decrease? In my previous beers (using rehydrated dry yeast) it seems like the peak rate of airlock-bubbling was slower, but that it continued for four or 5 days and beer was closer to its FG by the time bubbling stopped. 2) Should I pitch more yeast? Should I keep waiting and checking the gravity every few days? Would some yeast nutrient or something help it attenuate those last 10 points? 3) Is this a fairly normal fermentation trajectory, or would it have attenuated more quickly if I had made a starter and pitched more yeast cells? Any suggestions appreciated!